Baranoski, Feiss win Fastest Man, Woman on Wheels at Valley Preferred

Matt Baranoski and Dana Feiss live just a short bike ride apart with Baranoski residing in Perkasie and Feiss in Telford.

On Friday night, the two cyclists truly were the Deer Park Fastest Man and Fastest Woman on Wheels at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Trexlertown.

After qualifying through several races leading up to the final event, both riders found the 3-kilometer motor-paced scratch race more than a bit different, but also found a formula to win.

"To be honest with you, the way it sounded on paper and what we were told [before racing started], I thought it would be pretty sketchy," the 19-year-old Baranoski said.

"I have to tell you I was apprehensive about this race," the 23-year-old Feiss (pronounced Fee-sss) said. "From what I heard Thursday and the rundown we got on the infield [Friday night], it was different. It's easily the strangest race I've ever done.

A total of 16 men qualified for the final during the racing card, and 10 women qualified for their final.

The Fastest races were nine-lap scratch races paced by a motorcycle for the first 5 1/2 laps, making it like a longer keirin with double the field.

"I was waiting to make that last move," Baranoski said. "I wanted to get on [Andy Lakatosh's] wheel and [Jamaica's Marloe] Rodman was there. The made it to the front real quick and I went with them."

As they went to the front, Baranoski took a high line almost up to the blue line on the track to avoid getting hooked off his sprinting line. The maneuver worked because Rodman was in the sprinter's lane just above Lakatosh and neither rider felt Baranoski coming over the top in the final turn as he easily charged to victory.

"This is the one that counted," Baranoski said with a smile.

"I tried to treat it like a keirin," Feiss said, "but it was different. Different tactics, but I made it work."

Feiss made it work by simply being the fastest woman, taking control at the bell to lead out the final lap.

Despite threatening skies at the start of the night, the evening went off without a hitch.

In the opening even, the professional men's super sprint elimination, a breakaway group of five riders got away after the final group was set, with Jackie Simes taking the victory followed by Patrick Kos of the Netherlands and Poland's Rafal Jeziorski.

Simes was equally tough in the men's 5-mile, but veteran Ryan Oeklers, racing for the first time since Master's nationals last month, came around late in the race to take the win, with Rodman sneaking by Simes for second place.

Lakatosh won the men's invitational sprint tournament in a three-up final against Giddeon Massie and Pure Energy Cycling ProAirHFA teammate Baranoski. Massie took Baranoski on a tour of the top of the track heading into the bell lap, but the first-year elite rider kept pace when the sprint started down the back straight.

Lakatosh led out, but Massie attacked in Turn 3, only to have Lakatosh execute a nifty legal hook that diverted Massie and Baranoski from their racing lines just enough to allow Lakatosh to gather the victory.

In the women's preliminary action, Feiss, one of the top track sprinters in the United States, won the women's15-lap points race. England's Haley Edwards got on a two-woman breakaway with junior cyclists Nadia Latzgo in the women's 10-lap scratch race and came out with the win. Latzgo took second.

Latzgo took the lead on the bell lap in the unknown distance race, but Feiss went around her on the home straight and Colleen Gulick managed to throw her bike across the line first to nip Feiss and Latzgo.

Velo notes: Latzgo of Foglesville is headed for junior worlds in New Zealand. The former Parkland High School student, who now uses cyber schooling, finished second in the points race at junior nationals and while she has a spot secured at junior worlds, she did not secure funding from USA Cycling.

Latzgo is seeking donors to help her defray the cost of the trip. You can go online to her web site at http://www.gofundme.com/worw0 to help.

Calan Farley of Pittstown, N.J., the junior national champion in the keirin, also did not secure funding, but has raised money through a web site he created and from donations from customers from his place of employment at The Clinton (N.J.) Bicycle Shop in Clinton, N.J.

Both young riders, along with New York's Chloe Chepigin, another VPCC hometrack cyclists, are heading to junior worlds next Friday.